What do you think of when you hear the word "archeology?"
Does a swashbuckling Indiana Jones, searching for long-lost artifacts
in remote and exotic corners of the world, come to mind? While this
image is exciting, Mr. Jones falls far short of capturing the true nature
of American archeology and archeologists.

So, then, what is American archeology really about?
Most archeology in the United States is public, which means that projects
are sponsored by federal, tribal, state or local governments and involve
sites that are on land managed by public agencies. American archeologists
are truly devoted to protecting our nation's precious archeological
resources and place great emphasis on sharing their work with the public.

This series of web features is inspired by a Harris
poll conducted to assess Americans' understanding of archeology.
Sponsored by some of America's top archeological organizations, the
poll results indicated that people care deeply about archaeology and
want to know more. That's where this series comes in.

Harris poll highlight: Most Americans believe that public archeology
is critical to understanding, protecting, and celebrating our rich and
diverse cultural heritage.